"We must be ready to dare all for our country. For history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose." - President Eisenhower, First Inaugural Address

Launch Sequence

Sunday, February 13, 2005

In his NY Times column of 2/13/05, Thomas Friedman goes green in arguing that we are failing to control the mullahs of Iran by allowing our energy demands to provide more cash to them from the sale of oil.

While I greatly admire much of his work, he doesn't seem firmly grounded in economics - such that the expense of developing alternatives to oil are, in and themselves, quite high and that other nations are waiting in the wings to absorb any excess in oil supply caused by a decrease in the U.S. demand (and initially they will pay less). In fact, if we raise the cost of our energy, we can actually become less competitive with countries who don't make the same switch at the same time we do.

In short, nice fantasy, Mr. Friedman. But you won't win the reality cigar.

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EagleSpeak

About EagleSpeak

The main focus of this blog is maritime security. Other matters may appear. I am a retired attorney and a retired Navy Reserve Captain (Surface Warfare). Opinions expressed herein are my own. Sometimes I have the experience to back them up. Your opinions may vary. Don't panic. Feel free to disagree, that's what free speech is all about.
Nothing contained herein should be confused as me giving legal advice to anyone. If you are confused, welcome to the club. All mistakes herein are my fault. I have sufficient academic credentials to be dangerous to myself and to others.
Comment moderation is at my discretion, so your comments may never appear. You can start your own blog for free and comment there all you want. I enjoy a healthy debate, but not arguing with trolls. If you can't comment without using intemperate language, go someplace else., Under the header: An F/A-18E Super Hornet of VFA 87 prepares to launch from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). (U.S. Navy photo by MC2 David Mora Jr.)